more real than the real thing [no. 6]


For my project I chose to investigate Ru Paul. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to dive in too deep so my project is incomplete. To me Ru Paul is a very familiar figure; most Fridays after a school day my friends and I would pile onto the couch and catch up on the latest episode of RuPaul's Drag Race. 


Ru Paul has participated in a number of programs and productions revolving around drag culture. Here is a quick definition:
drag
/draɡ/
noun
4. clothing more conventionally worn by the opposite sex, especially women's clothes worn by a man.


Because Jean Baudrillard essentially says that nothing is real and everything is to some extent a part of a simulation drag is a perfect example. "Unmasked" by his camp style and fabulous drag Ru Paul is a man. But when dressed down to the smallest detail Ru Paul is recognized as a drag queen; feminine in nature. 


Conversely, Ru Paul boldly states this, suggesting alongside Baudrillard's theories that you participate in a simulation. Perhaps the only 'real' part of your life is when you are a firstborn; unadulterated and untouched from the 'influences of the outside'. 


source: RuPaul. RuPaul The Official Website. RuCo, rupaul.com/.

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